The Perfect Weapon
by Ian Bekker
Summary: Rewrite! A few months after the Harvesters' defeat, the crew of the Nirvana come across what appears to be an abandoned lifepod. Inside it is a young man with no memory. But what is the true reason for this mysterious man's appearance? Updated!
1. Prologue: Last Stand

Disclaimer: I do not own Vandread.

A/N: This is just the prologue, and it's kind of short. It doesn't have any Vandread characters in it, but it does have significance, later in the story. Further explanation and familiar characters to follow in the first chapter.

Additional A/N: This is a rewrite, but I tried to stay within the boundaries of the original. This is partly why it took so long to update. The other part was my inability to come up with content at the time. I apologize for the wait.

**The Perfect Weapon**

**Prologue: Last Stand**

_Location: Last Remnants of the Confederate Fleet, Final Confederate Defense Line. Two Years Ago._

This was his last stand… His final battle…

He was one of the last group of Confed survivors who were about to make their final stand against this faceless enemy that had attacked without warning or provocation. They had wiped out everything in their path, which included most of the Confederate fleet, as well as the several worlds that belonged to the Confed. In a series of violent, hopeless battles, the Confederate forces were annihilated by this faceless enemy, which seemed to be limitless in number. As it stood, less than a fourth of the total fleet was left.

In the humid confines of his cockpit, he was waiting for the enemy's final push. His humanoid machine, which was one of the most advanced weapons available to the Confederacy, yet it was unable to prevent this enemy from pretty much wiping the Confed out of existence. He couldn't hope to stand up to them for very long. Not that he was expecting to. He knew he was going to die in this fight, so it mattered little to him. From the very beginning of his training, he knew there was a high possibility of death.

He checked over the status of his machine. There was hardly any time to repair his mecha, and as a result, replacement armor plates had been welded over the gaps in the armor. For internal repairs, even less time, as they often required taking the apart the damaged area and replacing it. The wiring in his mech's left arm hadn't been fixed, giving that limb a slight movement problem. He was down to his last few clips of ammo, and the missile racks mounted to his machine were long since empty. That left him with little to fight with, but he'd had worse.

All of a sudden, the large blocky form of a Confederate ship collapsed in on itself, exploding a few seconds later. The shockwave could be felt, even though he was quite a distance away. He stood there, positioned on the dead hulk of a similar vessel, waiting for the chance to make his last stand. They had already taken too much from him, and they were going to pay for it. Cocking the anti-armor cannon slung underneath the rifle, he took aim at one of the awkwardly shaped cube carriers. As soon as it entered optimal range, he fired.

The heavy, high-velocity slug slammed into the carrier, and a split second later, it expanded, then exploded. The shell was designed to penetrate a target, then explode, dealing crippling if not fatal damage. He had no time to take any satisfaction in his kill, as several cube-type units; the minor grunt units, surrounded him, but were still a fair distance away. He locked his face into a grim mask, and fired the machine's autocannon, which was in the shape of a rifle, for flexibility purposes. He used short bursts, taking out several of the enemy before he ran out of ammo.

Cursing under his breath, he ejected the weapon's magazine, letting it float away from his machine. He grabbed the last magazine from the armored skirt of his machine, and slammed it home into the weapon. By now, they were too close to use precision fire, so he held down on the trigger, sending a lethal spray of metal into the path of the cubes, tearing them apart. After a few seconds, he realized the gun quit firing. Glancing at the status of the weapon, he noticed it was jammed.

"Shit!" he spat as he threw the useless gun away. He manipulated the controls for the mech's right arm, to grab the sword from its position on the machine's backpack unit. Activating his thrusters, he moved his machine clear of the wreck, moving to engage the enemy at a more personal distance. Using the weapon designed to cut through hardened metal and armor, he sliced through the first two that got in his way. He ignored the corresponding damage he received from the ones that got behind him. He swung the sword to his right, moving along with the blade and cut through one the close to his rear.

"Is that all you've got, you bastards!" he yelled as he impaled another on his sword, kicking his thrusters into full gear, slamming into a hunk of debris, crushing it with enough force to shove the shattered piece of debris into another cube carrier. By now, the cube types realized that he was a threat. It took a few seconds to free his sword, but once he did that attacked another one. But the blow never connected, and he felt a hammer force slam into his machine. The unseen attack severed the machine's right arm, taking the sword with it.

Recovering quickly, he screamed his inarticulate rage, and slammed the machine's left fist into the one the collided with him from the front. He tried to move the arm, but the wiring shorted out, rendering the limb completely useless. Another blast destroyed his backpack, taking his primary thrusters out of action. He was thrown forward, hitting his head on the control panel. The restraint harness and his helmet were the only things that kept him from splattering his brains all over the cockpit. As it stood, his helmet had a huge dent in it, and it left him with a headache. A second blast came just as quickly, tearing off one his machine's legs. Another shot removed the head.

Without warning, something in his cockpit exploded, engulfing his entire right side with an intense, burning pain. His helmet's visor shattered, cutting his face, and slashing into his right eye. It took him only a few seconds to realize that he'd been badly burned, and he probably had just lost his right eye. His machine had lost all of it visual and sensor systems, and was also crippled. He knew the machine had almost no fighting strength left to its name. Even so, he knew his machine still had one offensive system left to it.

Seeing as how he could barely move his right arm due to the intense pain, he used his left to grab hold of what appeared to be an ejection handle. Once he was sure he got a firm grip, he pulled on it with his remaining strength, and a countdown showed up on one of the few screens that still worked. He was starting to lose consciousness, and the sight in his remaining eye was starting to fade in and out. He leaned back in his seat, ready to accept what was going to happen next.

"Looks like I'll be with you soon enough…" were the only words he said before his world faded into darkness.

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Yeah, I'm rewriting this thing, and I plan on updated more frequently. Let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter One: New Blood

Disclaimer: I do not own Vandread, but I do claim all characters that I created for this fic.

A/N: This is a little side project I've been working on. Keep in mind, this is in no way related to my other Vandread stories, The Unknown Soldier or A Renewed War. This takes place about two months after the end of Vandread: The Second Stage. And just so you know, I'm going along a similar line to where Second Stage left off. Also, I plan on introducing new characters, numbering somewhere between six and ten.

**The Perfect Weapon**

**Chapter One: New Blood**

_Location: Tarak Military Transport, En Route to Mejalean Pirate Base_

"What is our ETA to the pirate base?" Nikolai asked the pilot as from his position standing behind the pilot's seat.

"About ten minutes, Lieutenant," the pilot replied.

"Good," he said as he glanced at his wrist chronometer. "We're right on schedule. Let me know when we arrive."

"Yes sir," the pilot said.

Lieutenant Nikolai Rayder exited the cockpit of the transport craft and made his way to the passenger compartment. There were four other men seated in various parts of the passenger section, all of them wearing the same black and red uniform that he wore. These four were under his direct command, and they were all being transported to the pirate base for 'cohabitation' experiments between men and women. That was the official statement on the issue, at least. There were actually a few different reasons they were being sent over.

The primary reason was that they were to reinforce the pirates' already formidable fighting force. They were all part of a newly formed branch of the Tarak military, the Special Operations and Combat Division. This division was formed in the two months following the defeat of the Harvesters at their border. It consisted of only the best and the most promising of the Tarak military, with all of its pilots trained specifically to counter the Harvesters. He was selected to be one of the squad leaders in this new unit.

"Less than ten minutes until we reach our destination," he announced to the four other men.

"'Bout time," one of them grumbled. "I'm getting tired of waiting."

He knew that it was the man with unruly dark blue hair, Neo. Nikolai narrowed his eyes slightly at the comment, but didn't reply to it. He knew for a fact that Neo was a damn good pilot, but was rather laid-back and insolent at times. If he kept it up, he knew he was going to have to do something about that man's attitude. He just hoped that Neo would straighten up before he had to interfere.

"Sir," a deep voice said, taking his attention away from Neo. He immediately recognized the voice as belonging to Arden Krueger, his second-in command. The well-built man had steel gray hair, even though he was only in his late twenties. They had both served in the same unit before being transferred to the new division. He was an accomplished pilot, having served in several battles against the Mejalean forces after the disappearance of the old section of the Ikazuchi. He acquired an impressive record in those conflicts, as well.

Another soldier that had served in the same unit was Ian Frost. A dark-haired pilot who had cold, ice blue eyes and a personality to match. Even though he was quiet and never really socialized with anybody, he was an excellent pilot, possibly surpassing Arden or even his own skills. His selection for the special forces was a foregone conclusion. Nikolai was glad to have him in his squad. The only pilot he did not know was Erik Schwartz, a brown-haired young man who had just recently graduated from the military academy.

"Lieutenant," the pilot of the ship called.

"What is it?" Nikolai replied as he moved towards the cockpit.

"We've just received a communication from the Dread patrol," the pilot continued. "They are asking for our identification code."

Nikolai picked up a headset. "This is Lieutenant Nikolai Rayder of the 2nd Special Operations Group. Identification code is RS-7032. ."

"Code acknowledged," the Dread pilot replied. "Proceed to Docking Bay Four."

"Understood," he replied, then removed the headset.

_This is going to be one hell of an assignment._

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_Location: Hangar Four, Mejalean Pirate Base_

Slowly, the Tarakian transport craft eased into the bay, resting on its supports as it touched the ground. Rena sat there, leaning idly against the steering wheel of the compact ground car that she was sitting in. She watched the blocky craft as it came to a stop on the hangar deck. She was assigned to meet the Tarak unit commander and escort him back to the Captain. She thought she'd never see the day when the Tarak government would actually cooperate with Mejale, and vice-versa. But here there was a Tarak transport, carrying Tarak soldiers, weapons and equipment. _Hell must've frozen over_, she thought sarcastically.

She had only recently become a Dread pilot for the pirates, but she was not new to piloting the craft known as a Dread. She had been a pilot in the Mejale Border Guard for at least two years prior to joining the pirates. She did not like to think about past things, so she turned her attention to the ramp being lowered from the Tarak transport. She started up the vehicle and drove the short distance to the foot of the ramp.

The first man down wore a red and black uniform, along with a sword on his left hip, which she found to be quite different from what she'd seen of Tarak soldiers. Most Tarak soldiers wore a tan uniform, just like the one worn by the Nirvana's helmsman, Bart Garsus. She assumed it had something to do with the rumor about a new Tarak unit being formed. The man had short, dark hair and what could be considered as handsome features. The next man to follow had steel gray hair and was fairly muscular. Three more men followed the first two, and from what she could see, she assumed that the first man down the ramp was the commander.

She cleared her throat and said the name of the commander she'd been given. "Lieutenant Nikolai Rayder?"

The one she thought was the commander did in fact actually walk up to her, and replied. "That's me."

"I'm here to take you to the Captain," she said.

"Very well," Nikolai replied. He turned around and said something to the man with steel gray hair, then turned back around and sat down in the passenger seat of the vehicle.

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_Location: Corridor leading to Primary Meeting Room, Mejalean Pirate Base_

Straightening his uniform, Nikolai followed the young woman that had brought him up here. From her attire, he could tell that she was most likely a Dread pilot. Her brown-blonde hair was kept back in a ponytail that went down to about mid-back. He averted his gaze, so as not to be caught staring at her. She hadn't spoken much since she called his name in the hangar. He guessed she probably wasn't the talkative type, but neither was he. She hadn't even said her name.

When they came to a door, she gestured for him to enter. "In here."

"Thank you," he replied to his guide as a courtesy. The doors slid open and he walked in, with her following a second later.

Once he stepped in, he noticed an old, hunched over woman sitting at the head of the table. From his briefing, he knew this to be the head of the pirates, Magno Vivan. Off to either side of her, stood her vice commanders, BC and Rebecca. Also present were Hibiki, whom he had met once before, Gascogne, another of the high-ranking pirates and the leaders of their Dread Teams, a light-blue haired woman named Meia and a dark-skinned woman with red-orange hair.

He came to attention as was appropriate when addressing someone of higher rank. "Lieutenant Nikolai Rayder, reporting as requested."

"No need to be so formal, Lieutenant Rayder," Magno said, then turned her attention to the woman who had been his escort. "That will be all, Rena."

"Yes, Captain," Rena replied, then turned and left the room.

_Rena, so that's her name. _He glanced back in her direction, and then turned his attention back to the current situation.

"So, Lieutenant," Magno said. "Let's get down to business."

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_Location: Corridor leading to Hangar Four, Mejalean Pirate Base_

"Hurry up, Barnette!" Jura shouted behind her as she moved at a rather brisk pace.

"Yeah, yeah," Barnette replied somewhat unenthusiastically. _Sheesh, why does she want to meet these men so badly? Oh yeah, I remember._

As soon as Jura heard that the men from Tarak had arrived, she had dropped what she was doing and rushed down to meet them, dragging her along for the ride.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something. It looked like a distant flash of light from where she was. She stopped and glared out the view port, trying to find what she thought she saw. Once she saw that same flash again, she knew something had to be out there. Jura had noticed that she had stopped, and asked her why she was taking so long.

"I think there's something out there," she said in reply, as she pointed in the direction of the flashing light.

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_Location: Primary Meeting Room, Mejalean Pirate Base_

"Yes, we brought new equipment, as well as some supplies with us," Nikolai said in reply to Meia's question. "And, if it isn't too much trouble, I'd like some help offloading it out of our transport as soon as possible. The transport's scheduled to leave in a couple of hours, and I'd sure hate to leave the supplies onboard. Here's the list of what we brought with us."

He tossed the data pad onto the table in Gascogne's direction, whom he knew was the quartermaster among the pirates, meaning she handled all weapons and the machines that carried them. She picked up the list and scanned through it. "Five new-model Vanguards, along with their weapons and over five hundred thousand rounds of ammunition. You guys sure came prepared."

"Well, with the ever-looming possibility of further Harvest attacks, the higher-ups saw to it that we were well-equipped," he replied with a slight shrug.

"Concerning that," Magno said. "You will be coordinating with Meia to integrate your men into our forces."

"Understood," he replied, looking over at the Dread Team Leader. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Same here," Meia said. "I want to see how good Tarak's elite are."

A beeping noise interrupted further discussion. Magno tapped something on the console in front of her. The image of a Dread pilot appeared on-screen. "I apologize for the interruption, Captain, but we have located what appears to an escape pod of some sort. What would you like us to do with?"

"Recover it and bring it to the base," Magno ordered the pilot.

"Understood," the pilot replied, and then cut the connection.

"What was that all about?" Hibiki asked.

"I don't know," Magno replied. "But we'll find out soon enough."

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_Location: Main Cargo Bay, Mejalean Pirate Base_

A small crowd had already gathered around the pod, which looked an awful lot like the one they found Misty in. The only real physical difference was that this one was larger. Parfet was the one closest to it, checking it over to make sure it was safe to open.

"Alright," she said. "I'm going to open it now."

There was a barely audible hiss as the capsule depressurized, followed immediately by a whine as the servomotors lifted the cover. Inside it was a man no older than twenty, wearing a dark blue cryo-suit. He had long, jet black hair that went down past his shoulders, and there was a scar over his right eye.

"The life-support system is functioning properly," Duero stated, as he glanced at one of the panels. "But, other than that, I can locate no other information."

"So, that obviously means we don't who this man is or where he's from," Magno replied. "I guess we'll just have to ask him after he wakes up."

As if her words made it so, the young man started to stir, opening his eyes. He slowly sat up in the pod, glancing over at the large group of people that were looking at him. He had a lost look on his face, as was only natural for someone in unfamiliar surroundings.

"Where am I?" was the only thing he said.

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Well, how do you like the rewrite so far? Let me know.


	3. Chapter Two: The Man With No Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Vandread.

**The Perfect Weapon**

**Chapter Two: The Man With No Past**

_Location: Main Cargo Bay, Mejalean Pirate Base_

He could hear noises, and as his hearing came into focus, the noises he'd heard were people talking. He slowly sat up and looked around. He noticed a rather large number of people, mostly women from the looks of it, although there were a few men. One thing he noticed was that they were all staring at _him_.

Somebody obviously noticed him, a woman, and said. "Look! He's awake!"

He had no clue where he was, nor did he know who these people were, so he asked. "Just where am I?"

This time it was an old woman that spoke. "You were drifting in space until one of our pilots found you. You are currently in the dual system of Tarak and Mejale."

"Tarak… Mejale…?" he echoed, not knowing exactly what those places were.

"If I may ask, who are you?" the old woman said.

"Who am I?" he repeated, seemingly unable to bring up anything, memories or otherwise, to identify who he was. "I don't know…"

A few seconds after he said that, a sharp pain surged through his head, and he lost consciousness as a result.

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_Location: Infirmary, Nirvana_

"So, how's our guest doing, Doctor?" Magno asked as she walked into the infirmary.

"After his collapse, he has yet to wake back up," Duero, the ship's doctor, replied. "His vital signs are stable, and he is surprisingly in excellent physical condition."

"But he claims to have no memory as to he is or where he's from," Magno finished.

"Parfet checked the pod, and so far she can't locate any information as to his identity," Duero stated. "There is also something rather unusual about him as well."

"And that would be?" Magno asked.

"After running preliminary scans on him, I found out that his right arm, as well as his right eye, are both artificial," Duero answered.

"You mean they're fake?" she said in disbelief.

Duero nodded in response to her comment. "They appear to be fairly advanced prosthetics. How he lost an arm and an eye I do not know, although if I had to make a guess, I'd say they were combat related."

"I see what you mean," Magno replied. "The young man's scars. He sure gave one heck of a mystery to solve."

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_Location: Rear Hangar, Nirvana_

The several meter tall humanoid machine slowed its gait as it neared its docking cradle. The Vanguard stopped in front of it, and faced away from the cradle. It slowly backed into the cradle, instructed by a female tech from the deck. Securely locked into its cradle, the cockpit hatch opened, allowing its pilot to exit. Once out of the cockpit, the pilot stepped onto one of the hover-lifts, allowing him to get to the deck.

Nikolai looked at his machine once he was down on the deck. The Kusanagi Model Vanguard was different from the ones that fought against the Harvesters in that final, climactic battle, and far superior to the old Tsukumo Model. It was also different from the new Murasame Model used by the pilots in his squad, and to a further extent, the entire Spec Ops Division. Unlike the Murasame, which was for standard Spec Ops pilots, his machine was geared specifically for use by a commander.

Instead of the single 'cyclops-eye' of all current and previous Vanguards, a visor was installed. The reason for this was to provide the squad commander with a better overall view. It was also fitted with better tactical equipment, such as communications and sensor systems. The armor was also improved via applying laser reflective surfaces and advanced composite materials, giving it better overall protection. Thruster output had also been increased to compensate for the heavier mass of the unit. But where it really shined was in its weapon systems.

As the Vanguards were originally intended to be rapid-response close-combat machines, they were equipped with a variety of hand-to-hand weapons. In other words, they weren't equipped with guns or missiles. Due to the need for tactical flexibility, the two new models incorporated guns into their arsenals, even though close-combat weapons were still used. Part of the reason was to help bridge the firepower gap with the Dreads, which were typically far better armed. The other part was to help deliver effective power against the Harvesters weapons.

Unlike the four other machines they brought with them, this one was equipped with several integral weapon systems. Each forearm housed a rapid-fire machinegun, and over its shoulder, was an electromagnetic rail gun. It was a relatively new weapon which used a series of electromagnetic coils lining the length of the barrel. It is capable of firing a solid slug at well over twice the muzzle velocity of any conventional shell-firing weapon. Its right arm could also be fitted with rapid-fire, multi-barrel autocannon for heavy suppressive firepower. It could use a variety of hand weapons, from rifles to swords and other melee weapons. Overall, it was a very well armed machine with good maneuverability.

"Looks impressive, doesn't it?" Nikolai asked the person who was approaching from behind him.

"It sure does," Hibiki replied.

He had first met Hibiki when he and several others were on Tarak to help search for men for the so-called 'cohabitation' experiment. With sightings of the Harvesters on the extreme edge of the system, the leaders of Tarak and Mejale were forced to modify the experiment somewhat. Instead of sending men selected by the envoys, they to send a crack Tarak military unit instead. They would still perform this experiment, but their primary assignment was military reinforcement. He believed it was also due to some political maneuvering by the Prime Minister, whom he believed wanted to include Tarak military personnel, so as not to let women take all the credit for any possible victories.

He turned to face Hibiki. "This machine is currently one of only two of its kind in existence."

"Why is that?" Hibiki asked as he looked up at the machine.

"Let's just say R & D wanted no expense spared," he replied. "They incorporated several new technologies into this bad boy. This one is the second prototype."

"So, that is why it is different from the other four," Hibiki commented.

"Yeah," he replied. "This one is specifically tailored for a commander's use. It was also intended for heavy combat, as you can see."

"Yep," Hibiki answered. "I can't wait to see how this guy performs in battle."

"I think I can arrange something," he said, a faint smile creasing his lips.

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_Location: Infirmary, Nirvana_

_Where am I?_ was the thought racing through his mind when he woke up. He slowly opened his eyes, only to be greeted the harsh glare of the lights in the sickbay. Squinting, he brought his right arm to shield his eyes from the blinding light. It was then he noticed something awkward. He sat up, looking at his left arm, flexing it to make sure. He then repeated the action with his right. Something didn't feel right. His right arm looked exactly like his left, moved like his left, but it didn't feel the same as his left. It didn't feel _real_.

"I see you've finally woken up, ribbit," the voice of a young girl said.

Startled by the voice, he snapped his head over to where it originated. His sudden reaction caused her to jump back slightly. "Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Paiway," the girl replied. "And just who are you?"

"I don't know…" he said, trailing off.

"You don't know? How come? Ribbit," the girl named Paiway asked, holding up a puppet of sort.

"I already told you, I don't know. I can't even remember my own name," he replied. "Why are you asking me these questions?"

"Just curious," she said.

"Right," he replied, then noticed someone else enter the room. He recognized her as the old woman he'd seen earlier.

"I see you're finally awake, young man," the old woman said upon noticing him sitting up.

"You're the woman from before," he replied to her comment. "What is this place? Where am I?"

"My name is Magno Vivan," the old woman said. "I am the leader of a group of pirates, and you are on our ship, the Nirvana. Even though we are pirates, you'll be safe here. We have no intention of harming you, young man."

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_Location: Training Area Outside Pirate Base_

"You may begin anytime you're ready," Meia said over the comm.

"Understood," Nikolai replied, reflexively tightening his grip on the controls. "Starting the test."

Several targets suddenly appeared on his sensors, and he noticed them begin to move. He centered his targeting reticule on the nearest target, calculating just how best to deal with it. He raised the machine's right arm, and squeezed the firing stud on his controls. The first target disappeared in a spray of several armor-piercing rounds from the multi-barreled autocannon. He controlled his ammo usage, firing only when he a lock on a target. I less than a minute, there were no more basic targets to speak of.

"Ready for Phase Two," he said into his comm.

"Understood," Meia replied. "Activating combat drones."

The second phase of the exercise was a live combat exercise. The objective of this phase was to destroy or disable all of the ten drones, which bore a huge resemblance to the basic cube-type robots used by the Harvesters. That was accomplished, thanks mostly in part of the pirates' capture of one of their flagships. Even though that ship was destroyed near the end of the battle with the Harvesters, they had more than enough technology to replicate them. It made for an excellent target in combat training to prepare pilots to face this threat.

Two of the drones had managed to rapidly close the distance with him, which proved to be stupid, even for machines. The two were chewed up as his autocannon spewed out another burst of high-velocity metal. While he was preoccupied with two approaching him from the front, another had managed to flank him from the left. He trained his left arm machinegun on it and tore it apart with a sustained burst. He dodged one that attempted to attack him from below by presenting his back to his target for only a split second, jetting back, allowing it to pass by. As it entered his field of vision, he blasted it apart.

With the press of a button, the rail gun slid out of its stored position on the Vanguard's back to its firing position over the shoulder. He evaded the fifth one's fire and attempted ram attack, waiting for the weapon to charge. He took aim at the drone and fired the rail gun. The only telltale sign of the weapon's discharge was a silver-blue flash. A split second later the drone literally exploded, cored through by the hypersonic slug. He dispatched the next two drones in the same manner. He intentionally let his guard down for a second, allowing a drone to slam into his machine, attempting to grapple it. The other two followed a few seconds later, effectively pinning him between them, or so they thought…

Knowing that he could break free by moving, he brought the right arm up just enough to fire the autocannon. The barrels of the weapon were pointed just above the mid-section of the front drone. The blast sheared the entire lower section of the drone off, effectively rendering it helpless. Kicking it away, he used the right arm cannon as a club, swinging at the one holding him from the side, knocking it away. He immediately ejected the cumbersome weapon from its mount.

With the Vanguard's right arm free, he drew the sword that was stored on the hip. He used the sword to stab the one that still had a hold of him. The one that he knocked away came at him again, and with the blade still lodged in the drone he'd stabbed as a shield. He rammed into the final drone, pushing it back. Using the left arm machinegun, he finished both off with two continuous blasts.

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_Location: Pilot Briefing Room, Nirvana_

In the briefing room, most of the pilots on the Nirvana were there, observing the exercise being performed by Lieutenant Nikolai Rayder. The four male pilots under the command of the Lieutenant were also present, watching his performance on the screen. After seeing the way he finished of the last few drones, most of the pilots, both male and female, were impressed by his obvious skill. Others observed stoically, and others felt differently.

"Impressive," Erik Schwartz said under his breath as he watched his commander finish off the final drone.

"This the first time you saw the Lieutenant fight?" Arden Krueger asked.

"Yes sir," he replied to the well-built Sergeant's question.

"Just like our commander to show off," commented Neo, somewhat disdainfully.

Arden gave Neo a stern glance, but the blue-haired man seemed not to notice. Arden didn't like the man, but his inclusion in this group was only because of his piloting skills. If it weren't for that, Nikolai would already have booted him out of the squad and replaced him with someone more competent. Ian Frost, the last in the group, remained quiet through the whole exercise. Arden swore that Ian hardly ever talked outside of combat, and even then, he kept his words to the absolute minimum.

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Leaning against the wall in the back, Rena watched the exercise with a rather cold expression on her face. From the way he fought, she could tell that he'd dispatched those drones with hardly any effort. From the time she'd met him in the base hangar, she had a strange feeling about him, one she did not like. There wasn't something right about that man. All she wanted to do was chalk it up to bad memories, but something told her it was more than that. She wasn't sure. Having seen enough of the exercise, she got up off of the wall and walked out of the room.

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Alright, let me know what you think of the rewrite.


	4. Chapter Three: New Orders

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread.

A/N: Heh, thought I forgot about this one, did ya? No way in hell. With real life getting in the way, as well as my urge to work on my other Vandread fic, my time for this one had been cut down. I'm going to try and change that. Anyways, I apologize for my damned lack of attention on this one.

**The Perfect Weapon**

**Chapter Three: New Orders**

_Location: Infirmary, Nirvana_

"That is very peculiar," Duero said to himself as he looked over the results of the detailed medical scans for the young man that was found drifting in space. Even though the currently nameless, amnesiac man had a prosthetic arm and cybernetic eye, that was not what he was talking about. He would have to eventually tell the Captain about this discovery. Before he could go any further with his report, Parfet's image showed up on screen.

"Any luck breaking the code?" he asked. After examining the pod the man came in, they had found out that it contained some kind of computer terminal. Parfet was currently in the process of trying to acquire information from it, to find out exactly who this man was and where he was from. But it was heavily encrypted, making it extremely difficult to access it.

"Not yet," she replied. "This thing seems to be secure. I've tried just about everything, and no luck at all."

"It would seem that whoever created it didn't want just anyone to open it," he commented.

"It would seem so," she replied, scratching her head in frustration. "I'll let you know if I'm able to access it."

"Alright," he replied before he cut the communication._ There is something strange about that man, that's for sure…_

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_Location: Rear Hangar, Nirvana_

"That was quite a show you put on for everyone," Meia said as Nikolai disembarked from his machine.

"Yeah," he replied. "The performance level of this machine is much higher than a standard Vanguard, but I'm not normally that flashy whenever I'm in actual combat. I take combat very seriously."

"After seeing your performance," Meia said. "I'm glad we're on the same side."

That comment got a smile from him. "As am I. I saw you in action against the Earth invasion fleet. I wouldn't want to fight against you either."

He couldn't say exactly why, but he actually liked and respected this woman. For some odd reason, he knew he could trust her to watch his back in battle. He just hoped that combat would not be too soon, even though he was ready for it. He just wasn't sure that some of his men were completely ready.

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_Location: Rear Hangar, Nirvana_

Despite two hours of trying to access the computer console that was built into the pod, Parfet was having little luck trying to get past the locked system. Whoever had installed this was good, very good. The Commander had made it clear to her that it not be hooked directly to the ship's computer system, just in case it housed a virus. So far she hadn't found any virus or other possibly harmful program. She was just about to take a break, when something caught her eye.

"What's this?" she said as she noticed something peculiar on the terminal that was hooked up to the pod. She made sure it wasn't harmful before she started to access it. To her surprise, it didn't have much of a lock to it. She had it open in less than two minutes. She read the information on as it came onto the screen:

_Accessing C.A.F. Personnel Data File…_

_Name: Erickson, Reinhardt_

_Age: 19_

_Identification Number: CV-60676_

_Rank: Sergeant_

_Division: 16th Special Combat Division, 2nd Battalion_

_Service History: Access Denied_

_Level A Authorization or higher required…_

There was no way she could get any further, but at least this was enough information to identify who this man was. She picked up her communicator. The captain needed to be informed of this immediately.

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_Location: Captain's Quarters, Nirvana_

"You're certain?" Magno asked upon hearing what Parfet had reported to her.

"The man's name is Reinhardt Erickson, and according to the data, he is, or was, a soldier. I'll forward the data to you."

"Good work, Parfet," she said, complimenting the engineer for uncovering the data. She then cut the connection, and opened up another. "BC, I'd like to speak with you, report the briefing room in five minutes."

"Understood, Captain," BC replied.

"Finally," she said to herself. "A piece of information about that mysterious young man."

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_Location: Captain's Meeting Room, Nirvana_

"So," BC said after reviewing the data on the man from the escape pod. "We finally have some solid data as to who he is."

"But still, there is still a lot we have yet to figure out about him," Magno said.

"That's true," BC replied. "Like what does C.A.F. stand for?"

"Well," Magno said. "That's something that we'll most likely find out in time."

"Do you think we should inform him, inform Reinhardt? BC asked.

"Yes, I think we should," Magno replied.

"Captain," Ezra interrupted via commlink from the bridge. "You have an incoming communication from the leaders of Tarak and Mejale."

"Relay it here," Magno replied.

"Yes, Captain," Ezra complied.

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_Location: Corridor, Nirvana_

_My first real assignment, and it has to be here, of all places… _Erik Schwartz thought as he strode down the corridor. Because of his high scores, he graduated top of his class and was personally selected for this assignment. He knew they were going to see some combat action, as one doesn't create special forces units for the mere fun of it. But he thought he was going to be assigned to a Tarak warship, but the unit he was in was sent to the Nirvana, the female pirate ship. He didn't realize that they were going to actually reinforce the pirates' already formidable battle forces.

He had witnessed the pirates' actions against the Harvesters when they invaded the system. _Who hadn't?_ He had heard what they said during that battle, and watched as several different military forces joined them in defeating the assault force. For the first time, the nations of Tarak and Mejale had set aside their differences and worked together for a common goal, the preservation and protection of humankind. He supposed that it was coming, an allied force of the best from both nations taking the battle to the Harvesters. At least, that's what he thought they were going to do. Once they got going, that is…

"Hey, Schwartz!" he heard Neo call as he came up from behind. "The Lieutenant wants all of us to assemble in the pilot briefing room, ASAP."

"Thanks," he replied, then followed Neo. _This is going to be one interesting assignment, that's for sure…_

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_Location: Pilot Briefing Room, Nirvana_

It took less than five minutes for most of the pilots to shuffle into the briefing room, with a few stragglers coming in a few seconds later. As soon as all the pilots were accounted for, Meia began explaining why they'd been summoned. "Just twenty minutes ago, the Captain received a priority transmission from both of our nations' leaders. You all have been called here because in that communication are orders that concern us. Lieutenant Rayder will explain them." Normally, she would have went on and explained them herself, but she just wanted to see how Nikolai could handle briefing the pilots."

With a nod to her, he started to explain. "The first of these orders is the integration of both the Dread Teams and my squad, melding both units into a single, cohesive force. As such, we have come up with a series of training exercises for that exact purpose." Meia could hear some muttered complaints, but kept quiet.

He continued, after a slight pause. "The second order we have received concerns everyone on the ship, but you will be the first group to hear it. The Captain will inform the rest of the crew at a later time. In a little under a week, we are to mobilize for a long-range reconnaissance mission in several of the outlying systems, to check for possible Harvester activity."

As if on cue, Meia dimmed the lights and brought up a star map on the screen behind them. It showed several star systems surrounding the Tarak/Mejale system, which was in the center. It also displayed a series of arrowed lines that obviously meant some sort of course or route. Nikolai took a laser pointer and went through the whole process of explaining the route they were going to take.

"There you have it," he said, finishing the explanation. "Any questions concerning either the mission or the orders?"

One of the Dread pilots raised her hand. He acknowledged her, and she continued. "How long will this mission take?"

"If we leave on schedule, and there are no unexpected delays, approximately three and a half months," he answered. "Yes, Corporal Frost?"

"Are we going to be the only group performing this recon?" the cold-eyed pilot asked.

"Yes," Nikolai replied immediately. "Although the higher-ups are currently working on creating an allied task force to assist us in the off chance we need help or encounter heavy opposition."

"Any more questions?" he asked, and when there were none, he turned to Meia. "Is there anything you would like to add?"

"The first of the integration exercises will commence tomorrow at 0900 hours," she said, informing the pilots. "That is all, you are dismissed."

After most of the pilots had filed out, she turned to Nikolai. "You handled that well."

"One of the primary jobs of a unit commander is to quickly figure out a way to assess a situation and explain a plan," he replied. "And thanks for the compliment."

Any further conversation was interrupted by Hibiki walking up to them. Dita seemed to follow in his wake, falling in not too far behind him.

"Anything wrong?" Meia asked.

"No," Hibiki replied. "I just wanted to talk to you about the recon mission, if you don't mind."

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_Location: Infirmary, Nirvana_

He was getting quite annoyed, that was for sure. This little girl with the frog puppet who called herself Paiway was getting on his nerves with her constant questions, most of which he was unable to answer. He was just about to yell at her when someone came into the infirmary, and to the foot of his bed. He turned, and noticed it was the old woman that he'd seen earlier.

"Oh, it's you," he said as way of acknowledgment.

"While you were resting in here," the old woman said. "My head engineer managed to find out a few things about you, Reinhardt."

"Reinhardt?" he asked, his attention focused solely on her. "Is that my name?"

"Yes, you're name is Reinhardt Erickson," she answered. "And from the information we gathered, you are, or were, a soldier in the CAF, whatever that is."

"Soldier?" he pondered, and then when he heard CAF, a sharp pain shot through his head. He clutched his head in pain as he bent over, and several images of when he was younger flashed through his mind. He was in some kind of facility, and then it flashed to him using firearms, then what appeared to be hand-to-hand combat with someone three times his age. Then it flashed to the image of several others like him, before he passed out from the pain…

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After a long hiatus, I have managed to focus more of my attention on this fic. I plan on updating it far more often, so expect this story to continue. Let me know what you think so far.


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